Horwich Advertiser Issue 628

Page 16 October/November 2025 AD SALES 01204 478812 NOMINATIONS are now open to award Bolton’s ‘local heroes’ with the borough’s highest civic honour. The tradition of awarding the Bolton Civic Medal was revived last year to honour remarkable and hardworking people who go the extra mile to support their community. Last year, four worthy winners were selected in recognition of outstanding achievement or dis- tinguished service. They were Ken Heathcote, known for his charity sporting feats, Jane Dixon, organiser behind the Bereavement Café, Ganshyam Patel, Chairman of Shree Swaminarayan Man- dir, and Dee Luczka, CEO of Saphire Partnership. Nominations are now open for the 2025 recipients and can be submitted by completing a simple online form before the deadline on Friday October 24. Alternatively, printed forms can be completed and sent to Mayors Office, Bolton Council, Town Hall, Bolton, BL1 1RU. Anyone who needs assistance to complete the form can call 01204 331090 or email mayorsoffice@ bolton.gov.uk. Nominees should have a mean- ingful connection to Bolton either through their birth, their life, or their career. Elected councillors and Bolton Council employees are not eligible to receive a medal. Nominations will be put before a panel of judges including the mayor, the council’s chief executive and councillors from all parties. David Chadwick, mayor of Bolton, said: “One of the great privileges of being Mayor is trav- eling across Bolton and meeting so many selfless, dedicated and inspirational people. “These medals are designed to honour those people for the major contribution they make to life in the borough. “What makes the Bolton Civic Medal even more special is that the nominees are chosen by the public, and we look forward to celebrating another cohort of wor- thy winners.” Medal recipients will be announced at the full council meeting on Wednesday Novem- ber 26. They will be invited to a cer- emony held by the mayor where they will each receive the official Bolton Civic Medal cast in bronze. Andrew was riding on air N intrepid Bolton businessman and a team of 15 riders have completed a gruel- ling eight-day chal- lenge to raise funds for the RAF Benevo- lent Fund. Lifelong cycling enthusiast and long-dis- tance rider Andrew Crompton pedalled more than 600 miles between RAF Lossie- mouth in Moray, Scot- land and RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. The Riding on Air challenge took the team through RAF stations including Lossiemouth, Leeming, Waddington and Wyton, with rid- ers averaging between 60-90 miles per day in the saddle. The money raised will support the fund’s Air- play programme, which supports children in RAF families. At each stop, partic- ipants met RAF per- sonnel, Airplay youth workers, and children from RAF families, gaining first-hand insight into the impact of the programme they were supporting. Andrew, has previ- ously completed two major long-distance cycle rides. His Manchester to Melbourne 15,000-kilo- metre adventure raised £211,000 for the Carers Trust and the Bolton Lads and Girls Club. And his 1,100km Go Asia ride from Bangkok to Saigon raised another £170,000 for the club. On this ride Andrew set a fundraising tar- get of £60,000. He said: “Completing the chal- lenge was a combination of relief and euphoria, mixed with a little sad- ness that it was all over. “It took months to organise, and the ride itself was physically very demanding – averaging 130kms a day, climb- ing 5,000 ft, often in tough conditions. “The highlight was the camaraderie of the team. Everyone sup- ported and encouraged each other, and the good humour made the whole trip memorable. The big- gest challenges were the huge amount of plan- ning and the physicality of riding most days into strong headwinds – it really did feel like ped- alling through treacle!” He added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have raised over £58,000 and can’t thank everyone who has donated enough. “Raising money for Airplay means a lot to us – it’s our way of showing respect and gratitude to serving personnel, while helping ensure their children are sup- ported through the incredible programmes the RAF Benevolent Fund provides.” Rowena Finch, senior relationships manager at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “We are enormously grateful to Andrew and the Riding on Air team for their dedication and commit- ment to the Fund. “Their efforts will help us continue providing the vital support Airplay offers to thousands of RAF children and young people across the UK.” Finishing line: Andrew and the team at the end of their marathon cycle (Photo credit: MoD) Delivering an electric charge Name your ‘local heroes’ A UK-based cleantech company has part- nered with Bolton Council to deliver an electric vehicle (EV) charging solution that brings affordable and convenient charging at home. EV charging has historically been more expensive for those with- out driveways, as they can’t use chargers that connect to their home. So instead of paying home energy rates they have to use public charg- ers that cost more. Trojan Home will allow people to charge their EVs outside their homes, drawing directly from their own house- hold electricity supply. Each Trojan Home unit is installed flush into the pavement and connects back to the resident’s electricity through a small con- trol box mounted on their property. The cha rger i s installed at no cost to the homeowner and their monthly subscrip- tion includes a free charging adaptor, main- tenance costs and equip- ment upgrades. Drivers charge by plugging in a compact, handheld adaptor, making the process as simple and seamless as charging in a driveway. During the pilot, selected households across Bolton will host Trojan Home units and charge their EVs using their own electric- ity tariff. The same charge points will also be avail- able to other residents on a pay-as-you-go basis, with the host household reimbursed in full for any third-party use. The pilot will be avail- able for up to 50 trial residents, during which time the council and Tro- jan Energy will assess performance, usage patterns and commu- nity impact. Based on the results of the pilot, Trojan Energy and Bolton will look to roll the scheme out. Ian Mackenzie, chief executive of Trojan Energy, said: “Trojan Home offers the freedom and fairness that many EV drivers are missing. “Being able to charge at home rates, right outside their front door, with no compromise to the street or community. “We’re delighted to partner with Bolton Council in bringing this solution to more people.” ELECTRICIAN - CALL TREVOR 07851 167678 Small Works Carried Out All Works Fully Insured & Guaranteed Inspection & Testing ✉ Fuseboard Upgrades Landlord Certificates ✉ EV Chargers HEI LTD Electrical Contractors Holt Electrical Installations Ltd Local Family Business Est. 2004 CALL TODAY FOR A NO OBLIGATION QUOTE Trevor: 0785 116 7678 Mark: 0759 011 1882 10% OFF FOR NEW CUSTOMERS Quote: Advertiser info@holt-elec.com or visit www.holt-elec.com